The Rajon Rondo trade rumors have gotten a bit out of control at this trading deadline, but as Thursday's 3 pm deadline rolls around, teams like the Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and NY Knicks all could be in the mix for the Boston Celtics point guard, although it likely will take multiple first round picks to get him.
The Rockets have looked like a potential destination for some time and they could get into the mix for Jeremy Lin, but it's highly unlikely the team will give up picks at this juncture. ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein writes that the Houston Rockets are interested in trading for Rondo, but that doesn't mean a deal will actually go down or those discussions will actually take place. Rondo is by far the best player on the Celtics and the team is in rebuilding mode and any club that tries to trade for him will want him to sign an extension there.
The Celtics have long been mentioned as a team that will be active at the deadline and they have a number of names they can move, including Brandon Bass, Kris Humphries, Avery Bradley and Jeff Green, while Rondo is the one getting most pub. The team likely will not make this move, but if they do, USA Today reports that the team would want at least two first round picks as compensation and with the upcoming draft looking deep, teams are not willing to give up picks this season.
The Rockets are an interesting option and while this deal is very unlikely, it isn't that crazy, as the two teams were close to another deal earlier in the season for Omer Asik, but that fell through due to compensation issues. The Rockets have been adamant that they want to get at least a first round pick for Asik and the Celtics are looking to acquire picks and not give up any. If the team, did try and trade for Rondo, Stein writes that Chandler Parsons would have to be involved to get the money right and that makes the deal even more unlikely, as the Rockets love Parsons.
The Celtics have been dealing with this trade talk for months and now as the deadline approaches they could pull off a blockbuster, but that hasn't happened for quite some time. The team has a cap of $70 million right now and $51 million heading into next season and they also have first round picks and they likely want to move the bigger contracts, including someone like Gerald Wallace at two years, $20.2 million over the next two seasons, but that will be difficult as well.
The Omer Asik deal was close to happening and then that fell apart and other teams like the Sacramento Kings, Knicks and Raptors have expressed interest in Rondo as well. The Knicks don't really have the assets to make a move, while the Raptors appear to be sitting tight with Kyle Lowry and they aren't going to jump into things this late in the fray. General manager Danny Ainge knows how good Rondo is and he knows how to pull off a deal and while he has said that Rondo is not being shopped, if the right deal comes along he will pull the trigger. But it won't. Probably.